The present invention relates to a dental instrument, in particular a dental drill, for use within a patient's mouth.
Preventive dentistry requires that cavities be filled. In so doing, the dentist must first determine that a cavity exists and locate it within the patient's mouth. Identification of a cavity is made after the patient notices a pain, through X-rays, or when the dentist views the patient's teeth during routine examination.
Dentists typically use a mirror to locate and view cavities, after which they are removed by drilling. Typically, a dentist uses a separate mirror to locate the cavity and removes it by employing a dental drill, placing the drill burr near the cavity. While drilling, the dentist often manipulates a separate mirror to provide a view for observing the progress of drilling and to ensure that the cavity is completely removed.
In the practice of dentistry, the X-ray machine has been the predominant imaging tool used to record and view dental and periodontal structure. Various improvements have been made in the field of dental instruments to assist the dentist in filling cavities. Hand held tools having mirrored surfaces provide visual access by the dentist to many, but not all areas of the mouth not directly viewable. One example is a dental mirror attached to the dental drill handpiece. This system allows the dentist to easily view the site at which drilling is being performed. However, a mirror mounted to the dental drill substantially limits access inside the mouth. This limited access occurs because the mirror protrudes from the drill, interfering with the other teeth, the gums, and the interior of the mouth. Such tools have the further limitation that they provide only a small image, and offer no capability to provide a permanent record of what the dentist sees.
The assignee of the present invention has developed an endoscope particularly adapted for use by dentists. The endoscope includes a camera capable of presenting an image for real-time viewing or for recording and playback at a later time. This design is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,001 issued Aug. 15, 1989, which is incorporated by reference thereto. A dentist can view the interior of the mouth using the endoscope probe in conjunction with a video monitor. While suitable for locating cavities and diagnosing diseases and related ailments inside the mouth, it is difficult to use this device while drilling cavities or abrading portions of a tooth. In this respect, the endoscope exhibits the same disadvantages incurred in using a separate mirror, as discussed above. The dentist or dental assistant must hold the endoscope in one hand while trying to maneuver the dental drill with the other. Because both the drill and endoscope require connection to controls for their operation, it has not been feasible to combine an endoscope with a dental instrument in a size convenient for comfort and manipulation within a patient's mouth.